Electrochemical storage cell

Abstract

An electrochemical storage cell includes a housing; a solid electrolyte tube, which defines an inner space of the housing as a first electrode chamber and a second electrode chamber; a first electrode material in the first electrode chamber; a second electrode material in the second electrode chamber; and an electron channel unit arranged in the second electrode chamber for guiding movement of electrons in the second electrode chamber, the electron channel unit having a non-constant thickness.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electrochemical storage cell comprising:
 a housing; 
 a solid electrolyte tube, which defines an inner space of the housing as a first electrode chamber and a second electrode chamber; 
 a first electrode material in the first electrode chamber; 
 a second electrode material in the second electrode chamber; 
 an electron channel unit formed of a porous carbon-based felt and arranged in the second electrode chamber for guiding movement of electrons in the second electrode chamber, the electron channel unit comprising a center portion and a first edge and a second edge at opposite sides of the center portion, the porous carbon-base felt having a thickness that decreases from the center portion of the electron channel unit toward the first edge of the electron channel unit; and 
 a metal current collector adjacent to the porous carbon-based felt and exposed to an outside of the housing, 
 wherein a shortest distance between the solid electrolyte tube and a portion of the porous carbon-based felt that is between the center portion and the first edge is less than a shortest distance between the solid electrolyte tube and the first edge. 
 
     
     
       2. The electrochemical storage cell of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the porous carbon-based felt is greater at the center portion of the electron channel unit than at each of the first edge and the second edge of the electron channel unit. 
     
     
       3. The electrochemical storage cell of  claim 2 , wherein the thickness of the porous carbon-based felt gradually decreases from the center portion toward each of the first edge and the second edge. 
     
     
       4. The electrochemical storage cell of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the porous carbon-based felt at a thickest portion of the electron channel unit is less than twice the thickness of the porous carbon-based felt at a thinnest portion of the electron channel unit. 
     
     
       5. The electrochemical storage cell of  claim 1 , wherein the electron channel unit is symmetrical about an axis extending through a center of the electron channel unit. 
     
     
       6. The electrochemical storage cell of  claim 1 , wherein the electron channel unit comprises a metal. 
     
     
       7. The electrochemical storage cell of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the thickness of the porous carbon-based felt is non-constant from the center portion of the electron channel unit toward each of the first edge and the second edge of the electron channel unit; and 
 wherein the electron channel unit comprises a metal layer arranged on an outer surface of the carbon-based felt. 
 
     
     
       8. The electrochemical storage cell of  claim 6 ,
 wherein the thickness of the porous carbon-based felt is non-constant from the center portion of the electron channel unit toward each of the first edge and the second edge of the electron channel unit; and 
 wherein the electron channel unit comprises a metal member combined with edges of the carbon-based felt. 
 
     
     
       9. The electrochemical storage cell of  claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional shape of the electron channel unit comprises a cross shape or a linear shape.